The #188 Cobra Daytona Coupe, piloted by Maurice Trintignant and Bernard de Saint-Auban, approached the 1964 Tour de France as both a contender and an experiment in endurance and handling. Unlike some of its teammates, this car was carefully balanced for reliability over outright speed, with subtle tweaks to suspension and cooling systems to cope with the relentless French roads. Its sleek fastback and refined bodywork made it instantly recognizable in the field, while the powerful 289 V8 promised bursts of acceleration when the route opened.
From the start, Trintignant and de Saint-Auban found the Coupe predictable and responsive, its combination of aerodynamic stability and engine torque allowing confident driving over tight corners and sweeping stretches alike. Minor hiccups in the gearbox and brakes meant frequent attention from the pit crew, but nothing catastrophic slowed the pair. In the end, the #188 finished the event with a solid showing, earning praise for its balance of speed and composure. Trintignant noted: “It’s fast, yes, but more than that — it feels like it knows where it wants to go.”